Pelican Sound Amenities

Pelican Sound Amenities

If variety is the spice of life, Pelican Sound Golf & River Club could be considered as one of Southwest Florida’s most savory of seasoned of communities, and to that end, this is a community which has been designed to appeal to the variety of discriminating tastes. The following offers overview of a few features that enhance the fantastic quality of life in Pelican Sound Golf & River Club.

The championship golf courses at Pelican Sound Golf & River Club have been distinguished with certification by the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program.

Fabulous Fairways

For golfers, Pelican Sound is graced with 27-holes of private championship golf culminating from three different 9-hole courses which were among the world’s first (and few) to capture coveted distinction as a certified member of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program, an honor that recognizes outstanding environmental stewardship in the construction and management of golf courses. Those who earn ACSP Certification are credited for creating courses that collectively mitigate impact on the environment, enhance operational efficiency and reflect the best traditions of a sporting industry which, for the record, was advancing environmental sustainability practices long before “being green” became so vogue in modern vernacular. Designed by Golf Course Architect Chip Powell and Senior PGA Tour Player Mike Hill, Pelican Sound’s golf courses were strategically developed to help ensure protection of wetlands and woodlands vital to area wildlife while also assuring more than sufficient challenge to golfers of all skill-levels. These courses have previously been chosen as a site for several Senior Tour qualifiers as well as tournaments like the ACE Group Classic.

Area waterways are a picturesque aspect of golf play at Pelican Sound Golf & River Club.

For 18-hole rounds, golfers play two of the three courses and given the daily rotation, the challenge here assures constant change and opportunity for players to master both their long and short games.  While each course has a set of seven tees to accommodate play from 4,600 to 7,100 yards, each course is nuanced by its own unique topographical characteristic or environmental aesthetic. For example, The Rivers Course offers incredible views (and hazards) involving the Estero River while the The Lakes Course imparts a more traditional Florida feel with community lakes figuring in the majority of holes. Meanwhile, The Sound course may represent the youngest of the three, but it is equally mature in posing a challenge with its tight fairways.

Large practice facilities for driving, chipping and putting, and an outstanding pro shop further enhance the golf experience at Pelican Sound. For those needing tips on how to improve their game, there is a team of helpful professionals which include Master Golf Pro Steve Cox, Head Golf Pro Mary Page and Golf Pro Kert Stegle who coordinate golf clinics and one-on-one private lessons throughout the year. Beyond the opportunity to play a great game of golf in the great outdoors, the golf environment of Pelican Sound is a great way to make new friends as residents throughout the varied neighborhoods routinely participate in the range of regularly scheduled events.

The main clubhouse at Pelican Sound Golf & River Club encompasses more than 18,000 square feet of space.

Dining, Dancing and More

Encompassing more than 18,000 square feet, The Golf Clubhouse at Pelican Sound includes a full service bar and lounge with seating for 65, a veranda area capable of seating another 60 and a central dining room (with built-in dance floor) that can serve up to 200 people. A more intimate and private dining room which accesses the veranda is also available for smaller dinner or lunch occasions involving 25 to 35 guests; the same offers exceptional business meeting space as remote screens and an LCD projector are available for special presentations. From wedding parties and baby showers to charity galas and other celebrations, the Golf Club has been the site of soirees large and small, but not exclusively attended by community residents. The stellar catering and banquet services here are routinely sought out by other community groups throughout Southwest Florida, a fact that further affirms the professionalism of the staff and quality of the facility. Beyond the dinner service and holiday parties, the facility also serves as a focal point for community seminars and presentations by subject-matter experts who enjoy interacting with the attentive and engaged audience particular to Pelican Sound.

There are six, lighted, Har Tru courts serving tennis players at Pelican Sound Golf & River Club.

Six Servings of Tennis

The Tennis Center at Pelican Sound Golf & River Club is complemented with six Har-Tru courts which are lighted for those who like to play after the sun sets. For those who seek assistance in honing their skills, The Tennis Center is staffed by professionals who offer private lessons as well as community clinics and workshops. The Tennis Center facilitates a variety of events that help promote both neighborly fellowship and friendly competition through the staging of tournaments, philanthropic events and healthy workouts such as the Cardio Tennis class. Those wishing to join will find a variety of potential Club League Teams within the community.

Whether it is the wildlife encounters or the winsome escape from the modern world, the waterways winding around Pelican Sound allow for a truly wondrous experience which actually imparts opportunity to take a step back in time. When it comes to early history and the Estero River, as far back as 7,000 years ago, the region’s earliest of inhabitants (the enigmatic Calusa Indians) are known to have routinely traversed area waterways as these were not only essential in appeasing their appetite for fish, but also for securing materials to build their mysterious shell mounds. Today, from Pelican’s Sound’s private boat launch, residents enjoy the opportunity to take a complimentary ride aboard a private pontoon River Boat which transports them through the scenic splendors of subtropical hammocks and mangrove coves to destinations such as Lover’s Key State Park or Mound Key Archaeological State Park, an area that some researchers believe to be the ancient site of “Calos,” the Calusa Indians’ capital.

Exciting Excursions

As opposed to taking the river boat, others may opt to explore waterways by kayak or canoe. To that point, it is appropriate to note that the Estero River Canoe Trail has been officially deemed as integral to Florida’s Statewide System of Greenways and Trails. This trail begins a mere right turn away from the Pelican Sound boat launch in an area known as the Koreshan State Historic Site. The preserved grounds and architectural structures located at this site once served as the 19th Century settlement of a religious order who ventured from New York to Florida with the intention of establishing their own utopian community. The Koreshan followers have since faded from the scene, but that utopia has essentially evolved into the Estero of today. By paddling left from the boat launch, residents can explore backwaters and various inlets to enjoy interaction with a bevy of indigenous bird species; heron, anhingas and the elusive mangrove cuckoo are among the mix. The kayak park is situated near the northwestern end of Pelican Sound by the River Club. Kayaks are accessible free of cost for residents as well as their guests. Boat owners also have access to the community’s secured boat yard which is available, 24/7, by way of a gated keypad-entry system. Boats, up to 22 feet in length, can be secured here, but an 125 dry boat storage lots are located within a fenced boatyard on the property. But no matter if it is by kayak or by boat, from their captivating beauty to the ample opportunity to catch a beautiful fish, the waterways here will instill landlubbers with greater love for life in Pelican Sound Golf & River Club.

Fit For All

The River Clubhouse at Pelican Sound Golf & River Club is complemented with a 1,500 square foot, state-of-the-art fitness center.

Beyond the large heated swimming pool at The River Clubhouse, there are 11 other community pools within Pelican Sound Golf & River Club.

The River Clubhouse is another highly popular community venue. Encompassing more than 6,000 square feet of space that overlooks the Estero River, this is a casual destination for dining or simply lounging beside the jacuzzi or massive resort-style swimming pool (there are nearly a dozen other community pools on the property). The River Clubhouse additionally features a  state-of-the-art fitness center which offers an excess of 1,500 square feet of space and all the requisite treadmills, stationary bikes, weights and other equipment for any kind of work-out. Open seven days a week from 4:30am to 11pm, The Fitness Center hosts an exercising array of classes that include aqua aerobics, Pilates and body sculpting, and for those who wish, the Director of Fitness will help arrange sessions with a personal trainer.